In Singapore, paper is one of the most common type of waste and about 1.26 million tonnes of paper waste was generated in 2013. We need to eliminate the excessive use of paper and try to reduce paper waste where possible.

Cutting down on our use of paper will lead to a smaller environmental impact from paper production, such as less energy and water consumption, less pollution, and less destruction of forests and their biodiversity.

There are many ways to reduce the use of paper in the office and at home. Here’s a few examples:

Avoid Printing Emails and Web Pages

Use Email Instead of Fax

Print and Photocopy on Both Sides of the Paper

Switch to Electronic Invoicing

Reuse Old Envelopes for Internal Mail

Go Paperless with Electronic Bills and Statements

Avoid Printing ATM Receipts

Reduce Junk Mail

Submit Your Annual Income Tax Return Online

Use Cloth for Cleaning Instead of Paper Towels

Read Newspapers and Magazines Online

1. Avoid Printing Emails and Web Pages

Avoid printing emails and web pages unnecessarily. Instead, archive your emails and bookmark your web pages for easy reference. If you need to print web pages often, you can adjust your page and printer settings to minimise the number of pages before printing, for example, reducing the margins for your page or printing 2 pages on a piece of paper. You can also explore the use of software such as GreenPrint to reduce the printing of unwanted pages and images.

Have you come across an email signature with a tree logo and the words “Please consider the environment before printing this email”? This is a good way to remind the email recipient to think first before printing. Learn more about this signature and how to add it to your email.

2. Use Email Instead of Fax

Use email instead of fax for sending documents. Just attach the document as a word or pdf file in your email. Or you can scan the document and attach it in your email. If you really need to use the fax, avoid using a cover page. Read more